Thursday, 12 February 2009

There are several versions of the original quote by John Ridley that inspired Arthur Stace to spend the rest of his life writing "eternity" on Sydney streets... The version above is close to what Ridley actually said, I think.

When running, I often wear a yellow t-shirt with “eternity” on the front and “hope” on the back. I see it as a kind of a Christian version of Nike's famous slogan, "there is no finish line".

The “eternity” story is famous around Australia, to the extent that as the year 2000 was welcomed, the word “eternity” in Stace's handwriting appeared in fireworks across the face of Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Then later in the year 2000 it was seen again on the bridge by hundreds of millions of people during the fireworks displays at the Sydney Olympics.

Of all the words that have been spoken during the first two millennia, the one chosen by otherwise godless people to be featured on the Harbour Bridge at the dawn of the year 2000, is the one that Stace used to remind so many busy Sydneysiders of their impending appointment with their Creator.